Making Coffee
Traces the mysterious and conflict-ridden journey of the coffee bean from its Ethiopian birthplace, through Arabia and the Middle East, and on to Europe and the New World. The crucial role of the beverage in shaping the spiritual and social life of medieval Arabia and Turkey is explored and how it became irrevocably entrenched in the Western cultures.

When using coffee equipment for the first time, follow the manufacturer's instructions. A good idea is to take one coffee scoop, and, having filled and weighed its capacity content, use it all the time for ease of measuring.

If all the same equipment is to be used regularly and for the same amounts of coffee, note the number and size of the scoops of dry coffee required as well as the level of water in the measuring jug (cup). If it should happen that the first coffee brewed turns out to be weaker or stronger than preferred - all coffee is a matter of personal taste - make a note to adjust either the coffee, the water or perhaps the brewing time.

Many coffee makers have indicators for the level of water required for a specific number of cups, but this rarely seems to correspond to the actual number of cups poured, no matter what size cup is being used. If in doubt about the ratio of coffee to water, it is far better to use more coffee than may be required; if the brew is too strong, it can be diluted after brewing. Coffee made too weak, that is, with too little dry coffee, cannot be "undone".

Remember that coffee grounds absorb some water, so the yield of liquid coffee will always be less than the amount of water used in the brew; 600 g of coffee will absorb 1.2 liters of water, which means that 1 g of dry coffee will absorb 2 ml of water.

As much as possible, never reheat coffee and never use the same coffee grounds more than once.

Any time a small amount of coffee (one or two cups) is being brewed, and the amount of coffee is not dictated by the size of the machine (as it is with the espresso pot, for example), use proportionally more dry coffee per cup. Approximately 50 g coffee per liter of water is almost exactly 1 oz per pint; this makes a slightly weakish "normal" brew and is a good starting point for determining preferred strength.